Heart of Fire Eyes of Steel
by Chibbstick
Summary: Naruto is an aspiring young Ninja with a fate larger than anyone else. To many he is a Demon, but to some he is a great friend and a boy with a Heart of Fire and Eyes of Steel
1. Chapter 1

*** Disclaimer*** I do not own Naruto k?

Heart of Fire

Eyes of Steel

It's coming closer, even as the villages Ninja fight and die to slow its advance and yet the nine-tailed fox: the Kyuubi ploughs further into the village walls.

Thoughts where racing through Minato's head, he had been trying to think of an alternative way to stop the fox but he simply couldn't do it. He would have to sacrifice himself and possibly the future of even his new-born son Naruto all for the sake of the village.

His brow creased in worry and once again a tear graced his cheek. He had already lost Kushina having the Kuubi ripped out of its seal straight after childbirth had weakened her too much.

He had dealt with the death hard, but he had to keep up his steely facade just a little longer, for both his son and the village.

"The village…" Minato murmured to himself "how much more must be sacrificed until we can live in piece…until I can live in peace" he turned to the mantelpiece where a small photo rested against the wall, cracked and broken from the conflict that had occurred earlier, when the masked man had attacked his house and attempted to use his own son against him as leverage-a cowards tactic.

Minato brushed the shards of glass out of the way carefully with his hand and liberated the brightly coloured photo from the teeth of glass that lay inside the dangerous photo-frame, the shards nipping hungrily at his skin.

He pulled it out of the frame and brushed a finger across the picture. It was of him and what remained of his genin team along with his very pregnant wife.

* * *

***Flashback***

That day had been very happy, Kakashi had agreed that he would tutor Minato's son just as he had tutored him. He also agreed to look out for little Naruto after he was born, they had decided on the name then and there.

Kakashi at that point had simply said out loud, "What is the best side with ramen" as he sat in Ichiraku Ramen with his sensei. Both Minato and Kushina had both been brought straight out of their deliberations over a name to shout: "Naruto!" loudly in unison before looking at each other and laughing long and hard.

They had managed to calm down a little by the time Jiraiya had ran in with an idea for the name. "You should call him Naruto!" he said "You both enjoy ramen enough and I thought 'what better way to get him off to a flying start than naming him after the best ramen side ever' and I mean, come on Minato, you and Kushina are ramen-a-holics anyway, I doubt anyone would even bat an eyelid…even if it is strange…well, what d'ya think?!" he looked around eagerly at the stunned faces surrounding him, even the young Copy-Nin had an air of bewilderment about him.

The silence lasted a full seven seconds, after which the couple burst out laughing again-even Kakashi thought it was hilarious. Jiraiya blinked a few times and looked between them again before standing straight and crossing his arms strongly with a pout on his face. "Well fine, if you think it's such a stupid idea then I guess I'd like you hear your ideas".

The smiles on the couple's faces though said it all and Jiraiya found himself smirking again. "No Sensei you've got it all wrong" he managed to squeeze out between chuckles. "Yes Jiraiya-san, I love the idea" said Kushina, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "and damn right he will like ramen if it's the first thing I will teach him as a mother!" she had shouted with her hand slamming the bar with a pout plastered on her face.

***End***

* * *

Minato rubbed another tear off the picture and pocketed it quickly before he took out one of Jiraiya's old notebooks from the only remaining shelf in the house the remained attacked to the wall. He also located a pen and slowly began to write his last will and testament, as well as his last words to his first and only son.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped his brow of sweat as he consorted with his old team mates. Danzo was practically breathing down his neck-trying to make him feel guilty for disbanding the root division of shinobi he had headed, trying to make him think they would have been of use here. But deep down he knew that Danzo knew as well as he did that numbers meant nothing in this fight.

The Kuubi had already ploughed through over half the city and was moving on to the largest concentration of resistance.

"Genma!" called the Sandamie

"Yes Sarutobi-sama?" he replied with well repeated grace, his eyes ready for the orders that where bound to come next.

"Get a message out to the remaining shinobi force to pull back to the outside of the village and hold the nine-tails there and wait for the Yondamie to intervene. Minato has a plan for the Kuubi that will end its rampage, but it is imperative that it doesn't get any further into the village. We MUST protect the remaining villagers if the will of fire is to prevail here! Can I trust you with this task my friend?" finished the Sandamie Hokage, the steel in his resolve evident. "Of course Sarutobi-sama, it shall be done"

Hiruzen nodded before he turned away from the retreating form of Genma and turned back to the battle at hand. Where was Minato, where was the fourth?

* * *

Minato was panting heavily, the sounds of battle a sombre ambiance in the background of the leaf. He had run all the way from his house on the outskirts of the leaf back into the heart of the village as quickly as he could. He had tried to use his Hirashin to get back like a flash, but he was holding baby Naruto and using Hirashin for the first time gave most people a headache followed by vomiting their guts up so naturally he did not wish to subject his son to that. As well as this, all of his placed special tri-pronged kunai had been destroyed by the beast's rampage. As he made his way to the foot of the beast he bit a thumb whilst making the hand signs for a summoning.

"Summoning Jutsu!" he called into the chilled night air.

He slammed his palm to the ground and found himself stood atop Gamabunta, the boss summon of the toads.

"Minato you little squirt, what do you want I was right in the middle of-"

Gamabunta stopped suddenly and looked out over the devastation that had been wrought about the leaf village.

"Oh my…Minato boy…what-"

"Kuubi is loose 'Bunta and it is under the control of an Uchiha nukenin, I need you to get me to it and hold it in place for as long as you can" he said, the large toad nodded its head in response before raiding what could be passed for an amphibious eyebrow.

"But Minato-if the Kuubi is loose, what about Kushina is she all right? "the toad asked, concern tinging his voice.

Minato looked away and whipped a tear from his eye.

"She is gone 'Bunta, the un-sealing took too much of a toll on her" he paused for a minute and wiped a couple more tears that came before speaking again.

"But it's okay though, I will fix this as much as I can." Minato smiled lightly

"I have managed to seal what remained of Kushina's chakra into this scroll" he lifted a large red and black summoning scroll to illustrate his plan.

"I plan to re-seal the Kuubi using the reaper death seal using Naruto as the host. I will seal what I can of both my own and Kushina's chakra into him as well so we can help him when he needs us most"

Gamabunta's eyes widened at what his summoner just told him.

"Think about what you are doing Minato!" he yelled

"You would kill yourself this early on? Your village needs you!"

Gamabunta shook his huge head strongly, adjusting the pipe in his mouth.

"On top of that, you would sacrifice the childhood of your own son as well? You have heard Kushina's story as much as we have, it was a hollow existence! Do you really wish that for your child?"

Minato didn't answer straight away his eyes where glazed over and a smile lingered on his face.

"He is my son 'Bunta, he will pull through" he turned to the large amphibian before smiling his foxy grin.

"I believe in him completely that he will be able to pull through and do the right thing, he must, just as I must do this to both protect the village, and Naruto himself from my enemies"

"Naruto 'eh? Even his name screams Hokage's son" Gamabunta's face took on a look of doubt.

Minato nodded solemnly.

"But it is what Kushina wanted" he smiled before lifting his head to the boss toad.

"I do have one request of you however" he paused waiting for the toad to nod, which he inevitably did before continuing.

"When he is old enough, will you allow him to sign the summoning contract 'Bunta?"

Gamabunta's face took on a look of amusement before he laughed out loud.

"Of course boy, why ever would I decline his birth right?"

Minato smiled contently before standing back up. He had slowly sat down without noticing it after summoning Gamabunta, he was strangely relaxed, even though he knew he was about to die. The Reaper death seal required you to summon the Shinigami into this plane of existence to do a task for you. If your deal was satisfactory, it would complete this task in payment for your soul which would naturally kill you.

He took a deep breath, ready in both body and soul to meet with the death god.

"Let's get going 'Bunta"

The huge toad nodded once again and he pushed his strong back legs to the ground and sprung towards the Kuubi, ready to do battle.

* * *

The Sandamie was relieved to see the large amphibian appear in one of the side streets of the village. It meant the Yondaime was here, it meant hope- If anyone could defeat the Kyuubi, it was him.

His smile dropped however when he saw the toad boss with Minato atop his colossal head leap towards the Kyuubi at full speed. What was Minato thinking taking the Kyuubi head on? If the entire villages shinobi couldn't stop it, then no one man no matter how powerful should be able to stop it.

Hiruzen found himself sighing deeply in thought at the prospect. Minato had done the impossible before; he could no doubt do it again.

"Captain!" he called out suddenly, an Anbu captain landing gracefully next to him.

"You orders sir!" he called out, his team forming up behind him.

"Bring your squad and gather the clan heads, I want them with me in five minutes-we are going after Minato and will provide any backup that we can. He has a plan that much is certain and we shall be as much a use as we can, sitting idly by just won't do!" he finished with a stern shake of his head.

"Sir!" he repeated and leapt off in the direction of the nearest clan compound.

* * *

Minato and Gamabunta had reached the Kyuubi and in one jump 'Bunta tackled the Kyuubi to the ground while Minato jumped down beside it and began to unravel the scroll and unseal the ritual pieces and place them accordingly.

A thick sheen of sweat covered his brow; he didn't think he would be so tired. The fight earlier had taken much more out of him that he had realised and he had slowly been sealing his chakra away into the scroll for use in the sealing, tiring to be sure.

He heard the sudden poof of pressurised air and smoke filled the clearing as the Kyuubi's teeth tore out the shoulder of the toad boss and Minato's eyes widened in fear.

'We aren't ready yet, god Kami-sama a miracle would be lovely right now please!' he thought to himself.

Just as if from Kami herself, the third Hokage and the clan heads as well as an Anbu squad burst through the clearing and began to assault the Kyuubi with reckless abandon.

"Minato!" shouted the third as he sprinted up to his side but found himself blocked from approaching.

"Minato what is all this, why can't I get to you?" the Sandamie raised his eyebrow in bemusement for a second, but the look on the fourths face said it all.

"Minato boy...Y-you aren't going to use...that are you?" he said, a pleading tone to his already quivering voice.

"It's the only way Hiruzen, my wife is dead, my village in ruins. The last thing I can do for this village and it's people is to preserve the balance and stop this from happening again"

His vision shifted to his son. "He will be my legacy, my son, these peoples hero, and someone who I believe will become strong enough to deal with the masked man I faced earlier. The very same who released the Kyuubi and almost fought me to a standstill"

He smiled warmly at his son and knelt down to place a single hand on his sons forehead "I will believe in him and pass on my will of fire, look after him Hiruzen-or I might just come back to haunt you" he smiled one last time before his face became one of concentration and he stood with all of the strength and power that the Yondaime commanded.

He flared his chakra and made the necessary hand signs and shouted into the night-sky something that got even the Kyuubi's attention.

"Reaper Death Seal!"

The Kyuubi's eyes widened as he looked towards the tiny human, the mate of his previous host and saw the menacing form of the Shinigami towering over him with a look of hunger in his black pupil less eyes.

"NO!" roared the Kyuubi before turning quickly and charging towards the child lead on the floor who was clearly to be his next host.

"I WILL NOT BE SEALED AGAIN HUMAN!" its booming voice echoed.

"Crap!" thought Minato as he gave the Shinigami the 'go-ahead' to start the sealing process. A long shadowy arm went though his chest and straight into the fox that was now stopped dead in its tracks.

It slowly began to struggle and minutely so began to descend its gigantic clawed paw towards baby Naruto's face.

"No!" began Minato as be began to get ready to jump in front of the claw but surprisingly a huge hand came out of nowhere and took the claw straight through its palm.

Choza Akimichi grunted from the sidelines and grabbed hold of the Kyuubi's leg and tried to restrain him as best he could.

Minato could only watch and grit his teeth as the slowly the arm began to 'float' at a snail's pace back towards baby Naruto, overweighed by the huge weight of chakra contained within.

Blood dripped down rhythmically onto baby Naruto's head and he slowly began to open his eyes. What he first saw with his eyes though, no one should have to see. In his vision was the entirety of the Kyuubi in all of its malice, hatred and evil staring right at him with a savage look in its eyes and its colossal grin of razor sharp canines glowering down on him.

Naruto didn't even make a sound. He just stared straight ahead in terror.

"Seal!" called Minato, and he dropped quickly to knees, his breath heaving. He fell onto his back and grunted before holding his hand up.

"Hiruzen" Minato started his voice hoarse and cracked "Please, bring me Naruto quickly. I already don't feel my fingers…I'm starting to fade"

The third quickly ushered off to bring Naruto to his dying father but returned with a panicked and worried expression on his face.

"Minato…he won't stop trembling, I tried wrapping him in my coat, but he just won't stop. Do you know what could be wrong with him?"

Minato looked at the trail of blood down his sons face and his eyes sagged significantly as what happened clicked in his brilliant mind.

"He saw it Hiruzen, the Kuubi it looked right at him with that feral hunger in its eyes" a tear pricked at the corner of Minato's eyes.

"I pray I have done the right thing Hiruzen...for all of us" Minato kissed Naruto softly on the forehead and their eyes slowly began to droop in unison.

"I hope you can forgive me...Naruto...s-son..."

And with that, Minato Namizake breathed his last with the fate of his son left in the hands of a bunch of fickle, judgemental men and a few decent fellows. Everything would work out... right?


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for late upload, internet broke and I just got a new pair of powerline adapters**

**I plan to keep it on a weekly upload basis**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**-Nine years later-**

Naruto sighed for the fourth time; the orphanage matron had begun shouting again. It always happened, every Friday evening like clockwork

After visiting hours had ended at around six o'clock or so, she would leave the building as quickly as possible and make a b-line straight to the nearest sake den. But of course not before giving the 'demon child' her remaining chores for the night. He would scrub every floor in the house and polish every boot, sort every book you name it

If she came back and he hadn't done them, he would get beaten black and blue

'I wonder what she actually DOES do during the day...' Naruto wondered

'Stupid lousy Matron' he thought 'why If I could speak...ugh who am I kidding nothing would change'

Fifth sigh.

Naruto never could work it out but he never could speak. Try as he might, he stood there beside the other forty or so other children, watched them talk to each other and laugh more often than not at him. But he just couldn't, it was a mystery to him.

Another point of interest crossed his mind as well, the old man.

The Hokage hadn't come to visit him in some time, days passed into weeks, weeks into months. Naruto had actually scratched the days into his walls, along with his hopes.

'Three months sixteen days...where are you old man'

Naruto's eyes began to water and he quickly whipped them away, lest the others catch wind of this.

The other orphans would often use the Matrons distaste of him to get a few free hits in. Naruto being an un-naturally fast healer meant that they could beat him ragged to vent their frustrations. After which they would then lock him in the store cupboard. By the time the Matron would let him out, the cuts and bruises would have healed and he would be in trouble for a number of mysteriously disappearing apples.

'And now she returns, at least I was able to get the last room all done this time'

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow and slipped down the wall with the mop not far behind.

He could hear banging from the main entrance, she was shouting for him and Naruto wasn't so sure that he wanted to go to her.

'If I stay I'm screwed and if I go to her I am also screwed...great' six 'I guess it's better if I get it over with now when the others aren't around or they'd join in'

Naruto wobbled to his feet and took a deep breath before walking down the hallway to the front door where the matron had haphazardly hung her coat on the rack one peg too low leaving her pristine violet coat to lap up the dust he would inevitably missed.

"Demon!" she shouted as he approached her "have you done as I asked or have you been busy skiving as usual 'eh?"

Naruto's brow creased, he had never 'skived' he was always just taking a lunch break but apparently she didn't see it that way

"Well then speak you rotten boy!" the matron then raised her eye brows and began hooting with laughter before slapping Naruto around the face hard

"Laugh boy, it's funny!" her face suddenly turned feral "Just like the irony of letting the monster that made all of the children inside this building orphans live among them"

She grasped him by the shirt and lifted him off the ground with Naruto flailing his arms around fruitlessly.

"You know what Demon?" she brought her arm back, the door still wide open "my rope has finally reached its end!" she threw him with all the strength her alcohol fuelled muscles could muster onto the street "The Hokage be damned Kyuubi brat if you ever show your face around here again I will personally beat you and lock you in the cellar until people forget about you!"

She then proceeded to slam the door in his face and her loud laughs could still be heard by Naruto, now a crumpled mess on the other side of the door.

* * *

It hurt, it hurt badly.

He had landed on his arm at a strange angle and every time he moved it more tears would add to the already ample amount of tears pooling at his knees. Every time he tried to stand the gravity pulling on his unsupported arm would make his arm feel like it was on fire.

He couldn't even call out for help, and everyone who passed either spat at him or walked straight on sending him an angry glare or curse.

'Damn it' he kept repeating in his mind 'damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!'

'Why can't I stand up!'

He grimaced again and supported his whole arm with the other before trying again

'Gahhh...slightly...better'

He continued to ascend and lent against the buildings gateposts for added support, a thick sheen of sweat that rivalled the one he had on him not twenty minutes ago inside the compound

'Why?' Naruto began to wonder 'Why does everyone hate me so much, what did I ever do?'

Naruto began to move slowly and began the long trudge to where he remembered the Hokage's tower to be.

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi the third Hokage stood once more on his hourly five minute break to stretch his old back.

The Fourths death had shook him, and he had quickly been forced back into the place of Hokage, even though there was many other Ninja, younger Ninja that would have maybe fulfilled the role better-he had to take the seat again.

The council had said that his experience would be able to stabilise the nation after its time of tragedy surrounding the death of Minato and his wife Kushina as well as the re-sealing of the Kyuubi after its attack against the leaf.

"Oh Minato" he wondered aloud "You left me in a world of troubles my friend, and I was just about ready to retire" he sighed heavily and turned ready to sit his aging behind back down on the remarkably good looking and amazingly uncomfortable seat and resume the completion of a Hokage's greatest enemy: paperwork.

* * *

Naruto had just reached the doors to the Hokage tower when he realised that he had to actually talk to something before getting to see the Hokage, and the look on her face said anything but 'go right in'

She hated his presence there and that was all there was to it

He blinked at her sudden change of mood as soon as someone else came in; she was all smiles and bubbly with them, politely asking them to 'take a seat please' before sending a message to the Hokage telling him that they had arrived. She had done no such thing to him.

"Sit down brat, he will see you when he see's you and if you don't like that you can just leave can't you?" she had said before shoving him roughly towards the musty chair round the corner so she wouldn't have to look at him.

Tears had threatened to fall once again but he managed the keep the flood gates in check, but for how much longer he wondered.

A group of men numbering around fifteen or so came through the door asking for the Hokage.

Naruto noticed a couple of them, there were the three heads of the partner clans; the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka as well as a couple of other members of the more influential clans such as the Hyuuga and the Uchiha.

'They must be here to visit the old man' Naruto thought, his eyes beginning to water again 'well I guess I'll be waiting here even longer'

They had finished signing in and began to make a move towards his corner to take the stairs up to the Hokages office when Inoichi and Shikaku stopped to look at Naruto who had since turned around to look at the floor.

"Hey there kid, what you doing here?" asked Inoichi

"Yeah shouldn't you still be back at the orphanage, it's pretty damn late you know?" said Shikaku

Naruto couldn't take it anymore and he hunched lower, grasping his throbbing arm and tears rhythmically dripping onto the floor

Shikaku and Inoichi were taken back by this and the latter glared at the former whilst shaking his head strongly

"Shikaku why did you have to go and say that you idiot?"

"Hey I didn't mean anything by it, I'm sorry kid real-"

It was then that the two noticed Naruto's hand on his arm and the two crouched down beside him, the others suddenly becoming aware that the two where no longer with them and crowded around him, some with looks of malcontent and others with looks of worry.

"Naruto" began Inoichi "let me have a look at that okay? I won't hurt you I promise I'm just going to see if you are all right?"

Naruto sniffed and slowly lifted his hand off of his arm and allowed him to inspect it.

In the back of the group the Hyuuga head Hiashi Hyuuga and Fugaku Uchiha where bickering as usual but certainly not over the usual things.

"Look at the demon, pathetic. We should have just killed it the moment Sarutobi came back" said Fugaku with a shake of his head, the Hyuuga head did not look too pleased with his train of thought

"I see Fugaku, then if it where your son the fox was sealed in should we have killed him straight out as well?" asked Hiashi with his brow raised, the lack of answer from the Uchiha head pointed his loss on this argument

"Fine" said Fugaku finally "I still have no idea why the boy is being so picky about this, why doesn't he just show him his arm properly rather than keep trying to pull away?"

Hiashi simply looked at him shocked before sighing heavily

"However did you become a father Fugaku?" he said, before waiting for an answer he nodded at Naruto

"Even without my Byakugan I can tell a dislocated elbow when I see one, and you don't just dislocate that by accident. No, he was clearly attacked today and if he is not in the orphanage it obviously means it was someone there and now he refuses to go back there" he shook his head before carrying on "I mean look at him Fugaku the boy is clearly terrified, he thinks that Inoichi is trying to hurt him"

"Ugh" replied Fugaku "Your so soft Hyuuga, my heart bleeds for the boy" He shook his head "Well you lot can flutter around this brat as much as you please but I am going upstairs for the reason we came here" he began to make his way to the stairs, a few of the bunch began to join him.

Hiashi waited until they had gone "Stuck up prick" he muttered under his breath "I wonder how far behind him I was until I found Hana" he sighed lightly and the others remaining chuckled at what they heard

Inoichi was frowning however "Naruto, I am afraid that your arm is dislocated at the elbow, and to put it back it will hurt a lot, okay?" Naruto's lip wobbled and he nodded slightly

Hiashi approached Naruto and knelt down beside him with a small smile on his face

Naruto recoiled a little bit which made him wince in pain and Hiashi put a single hand on Naruto's knee to comfort him

"It is okay Naruto, my name is Hiashi" he continued "I can help you out in this regard, I can use the gentle fist of the Hyuuga to painlessly disable the chakra points n your arm okay? This will numb the pain a little bit, but not completely. Do you want to me to try?"

Naruto nodded shallowly and bowed his head to him in respect

Hiashi smiled at this and patted his knee again "No need for that boy"

He raised his hand and poked his arm in random intervals along his arm

Naruto had noticed that while he did this his eyes looked frightening and the veins in his eyes stood out much more

'What is that?' Naruto wondered 'is he sick?'

Hiashi finished up and stood back

'wow' thought Naruto 'my arm is like...all tingly'

"Okay Naruto" said Inoichi "This is still going to hurt, are you ready?"

Naruto nodded fiercely and gritted his teeth hard

Inoichi then grabbed his arm and pushed it back into its socket forcefully

The pain was terrible Naruto shuddered and fresh tears dripped not his knees as he hunched over, but he didn't cry out, how could he?

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi had just finished his last stack of paperwork for the evening, he had thought at first that the rest of the night would be peaceful and quiet, how wrong he was.

The entire villages' clan heads had congregated in his office, well half of them anyway.

"Lord Hokage" started Fugaku Uchiha "let us start the meeting without them, they are all down their fussing over nothing, and we can inform them later anyhow let us not waste any more time on this" he stated, his foot tapping an impatient rhythm into the floorboards.

The Hokages eyebrow creased with intrigue

"What may I ask is this 'nothing' you left them fussing over Fugaku, surely it is not merely nothing to warrant almost half of the clan heads delaying their appointment with the Hokage over such important matters as 'clan politics'" he said with a tinge of amusement.

The Uchiha head frowned but refused to say anything, which got the Hokage looking around the room for the answer.

"Well, will anyone tell me or do I have to bloody well threaten you with light counts of treason and hurting my good mood?" the Hokage smirked at them

"Hah" Fugaku snorted "Fine, its Uzumaki okay?" Fugaku shook his head as the Hokage gained a confused look on his.

"Naruto?" he stood "Is he okay, why is he out of the orphanage at this time?"

Fugaku could offer nothing but a shrug and a sneer

"Beats me, perhaps he ran away. Or perhaps he finally cracked, who knows?" Fugaku ended with a hollow chuckle

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood and gave the Uchiha head a glare which bored into his skull, which Fugaku happily returned, their lack of agreement on any matter concerning the boy evident.

This meeting is postponed until further notice, while you are busy jerking me around trying to get this pointless meeting with me I have to run a damn village and watch as this villages greatest prodigy gets his legacy smeared into the dirt by the likes of you Fugaku, so it is time for me to return the favour" he turned to the other clan heads assembled in the room "I apologise but it seems that I do not as of yet have the drive or the patience for a full evening of pointless squabbling so until that time please return home, I will notify you when I will be ready for such an undertaking thank you"

There were a few instances of hushed whispering but they quickly stopped as the congregation filed out of the Hokages office.

Fugaku however remained until last, all the while locked in a fierce eye battle with the Hokage before ushering

"Your getting on old man, perhaps it is time to hand that hat down to someone a little more suited to the job hmm? Perhaps someone who will not die in the first few months, I mean if your skill is the same as your judge of charic-" he was cut off suddenly when a gargantuan fist slammed into his chest sending him into the far fall of the office, after which he found he could not move to defend himself.

"You dare say another word about lord forth Uchiha and I will paint the walls with you scumbag!" an un-natural feeling of anger had overtaken the Akimichi head as he walked through the door to see his equivalent in the Uchiha clan badmouthing the greatest Shinobi the leaf and ever produced.

"Choza calm yourself, please. Mister Nara, would you kindly release Fugaku so that he may scramble from my office if you please?"

"Of course Lord Hokage" the pair ground through their teeth and did as he said

Fugaku slid down the wall a little before pushing off and hobbling towards the door with all haste, stopping at the door to send one final glare at everyone in the room before departing.

The Hokage let out a breath he did not realise he was holding and gestures for them to come over to him.

"I apologise Lord Hokage" started Shikaku "Just to see him badmouth Minato that way makes me frankly more than a little bit pissed off" he shook his head

"I'm afraid I cannot say the same Sarutobi" Choza shook his large head "He needed to be put in his place, his ego is getting ever bigger and honestly seems to think he has a shot at Hokage with that attitude" Choza sighed and scratched his head with one meaty paw

Sarutobi sighed and drummed a little tune into the desk before sitting up straighter "At least he left without a fuss after all of that or 'more paperwork hoe!'" this brought a chuckle from the two heads and he placed his hands together on the desk as he face took on a more serious tone.

"Now then, where is Naruto boy?"

Inoichi nodded slightly and went back outside the room for a second before returning with Naruto, the boy looked indeed horrible, his skin was paler than usual and his arm was in a make-shift sling that was made from what seemed to be the curtain material from the hallway.

Naruto approached the Hokage with his head down

'Odd...' thought Sarutobi 'He would usually be bouncing now, regardless of the injury'

As Naruto reached the desk the Hokage brought a hand to his shoulder of his un-injured arm and spoke to him in a fatherly tone

"Naruto my boy, what happened to you" his eyes soothing Naruto's nerves while he handed over to him a slip of paper and a small pencil, the ability to write being the first thing that he had taught the boy, being the only way he could properly communicate he had thought it prudent to at least sat the boy up with some way of 'talking'

Naruto sniffed and his eyes began to water while he picked up the pen and wrote down the single thing that had been bothering him, more than even his arm, for the last few months

'Where have you been?' it simply read

Sarutobi closed his eyes before he took a single deep breath

"I'm afraid my boy that I have no good answer for you that I can give at this moment" he opened his eyes "But I do want you to know, that it was all to benefit you. Please understand that I never thought that it would take quite so long to do what I had to, but in the end it may have been worth it. Only time will tell however, so we will just have to bide our time" he smiled warmly at Naruto

The others in the room looked at each other for a minute before all shrugging in unison

"Now then, are you going to tell me what happened?"

Naruto sniffed again and began to write

'The old woman at the Orphanage came home drunk again after setting me all of her days jobs around the building' everyone in the rooms brows drew together at the mention of what was essentially slave labour

'She threw me out after calling me koobi something and when I hit the floor I hurt my arm and made my way to you, but I wasn't sure you would want to see me...'

Sarutobi and the others in the room got a very worried look on each of their faces and Sarutobi made a mental note to send Anbu at a later date to arrest the women for breaking his little law pertaining the Kyuubi and Naruto

"Hmm..." breathed the old Hokage as he carefully inspected Naruto's slinged arm more closely, after which he nodded at Inoichi with a smile.

"Thank you Inoichi, your random little skills still surprise me my friend"

The Yamanaka heir chuckled slightly

He had always been known to take up odd practices from time to time, running his own florists was the latest, and it was going quite successfully as well

"Naruto" started the Hokage "Would you like to stay with me tonight, and tomorrow we can figure out some accomidation" he paused when he saw the look on his face he placed his hand comfortingly on his shoulder again "Far away from anyone like the matron my boy, do not worry, I will not make that mistake again I promise you that"

Naruto's expression seemed to soften a bit but did not entirely dissolve

"I think I can help with that" said a voice from the door, everyone looked towards the entrance and there stood Hiashi Hyuuga in all his robed glory "I applogise from having to disappear earlier Inoichi, but I had to inform the elders of the meetings postponement before I could come with you"

Inoichi just waved it off "No problem Hiashi, but what is this you are talking about. How can you help?" he asked intrigued

"Well" he started "I believe that I can offer the young Uzumaki residence by the Hyuuga compound, it would be paid for by myself until he was to get a job or wage of his own. Think of it as paying off a debt I owed" he stated, a small smile grew on all of the faces present but Naruto, who was sporting an even bigger one

"Indeed" replied the Hokage "Looks like that much is sorted now, we can talk of the specifics come tomorrow"

The Hyuuga head nodded his agreement

"Now then Naruto, why don't you try and get some sleep on the chair over there in the corner, it is a mighty comfy piece of furniture and I think you could really use it with what has happened to you this evening" said the Hokage, worry creasing his brow

Naruto winced at the mention of sleep and paused before walking to the Hokage's desk and picking up the pen once more

'I still can't sleep old man; I've still not been able to get more than a few minutes each time'

The Hokage waited on more as it looked like Naruto was going to continue but when he didn't, he did not press for anymore

"Trouble sleeping Naruto?" asked Inoichi "I could try and help you with tha-"

"Absolutely not" said the Hokage in a stern voice

Both Naruto and the others in the room looked shocked at the Hokage who continued

"He will get over it in time, it is just a thing that happens when you are young my boy" he said before turning with the others, shooting them a glance that said 'I'll slap you' if they pressed the issue any more

"Now then Naruto" said the Hokage while standing "I will leave you here in my office for some peace and quiet while I deal with matters considering your housing okay?"

Naruto paused for a second before nodding his acknowledgement

'No way that the only reason the old man won't let old man Yamanaka help me' he thought with a frown before making a straight for the chair, which surprisingly was just as comfy as the old man had had said

Sarutobi made a hasty exit from the room with the others and made good his promise on allowing Naruto some quiet time

* * *

Once outside the building the Hokage turned to those assembled and began to pack his pipe that he had brought with him from his office

"Inoichi" he began "you will regrettably have to refrain from offering such help to Naruto in the foreseeable future" he looked about them "We all know what happened with the boy upon his birth, and of the burden his holds" they all seemed to breath out at that point

"Well then, you should know how risky it is for you to attempt to jump into a body that also houses a second consciousness. Anything could happen, worst case scenario is that it could kill you while you are in there, we both know that your Jutsu has its flaws when the user knows how to combat it, and what he holds has had a damn long-time working out ways of combating Ninja" he took a drag on his newly lit pipe and blew a stream of smoke between them all, eyeing them all each for a time before speaking again

"Anyway on to lighter topics, Naruto will be starting the Ninja academy in just under a years time, as he has expressed a large desire to do so and I find nothing wrong with that at all. I assume there is no disagreement here?"

Everyone shook their heads

"Good, well then. My wife will be angry that I am hours late for our meal once again, but I guess needs must as Kami drives"

A chuckle sounded from the heads as Sarutobi tipped his hat to them before turning around to head home

"Good evening gentlemen" and with that they all set off on their separate ways to their clan compounds

Meanwhile the toad Sanin Jiraiya and the slug princess Tsunade stood on the same street, unaware of each other's presence, watching the exchange of the heads and thought about what they had in store for their little god son in the near future


End file.
